1. Field
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to electronic devices, and more particularly to methods, apparatuses and articles of manufacture for use in a mobile device to determine a dynamic user profile that may be indicative of a current inferable user behavior context.
2. Information
The Global Positioning System (GPS) represents one type of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), which along with other types of satellite positioning systems (SPS) provide or otherwise support signal-based position location capabilities (e.g., navigation functions) in mobile devices. Location based services in a wireless network typically rely on GPS and/or indoor positioning technologies for obtaining estimates of locations of mobile devices. Such mobile devices, for example, may include circuitry and/or logic capable of processing signals received from transmitters to measure ranges to such transmitters. With such range measurements and knowledge of the locations of the transmitters, a location of such a mobile device may be estimated using well known techniques.
In particular implementations, a mobile device may be capable of communicating (e.g., wirelessly) with a centralized location server operating as part of a navigation system to provide location based services. Such a location server may communicate with a mobile device to receive, for example, estimates of location of the mobile device and/or information indicative of ranges to transmitters at known location. A location server may use such information to track the location of a mobile device over time.
In some particular applications, a navigation system may apply geofencing whereby an action may be taken if a mobile device enters a perimeter about a particular point of interest (POI). Here, a boundary or perimeter about such a POI may be defined at a particular distance to provide a circle enclosing the POI. Of course, shapes other than a circle may be used for geofencing. In one particular implementation, a promotional message and/or coupon from an establishment may be transmitted to a mobile station by a venue operator if the mobile station's location moves to within a geofence enclosing the establishment. Here, it is assumed that if a person traveling with the mobile station moves to within such a geofence boundary, there is a substantial likelihood that the person will imminently pass by or approach the particular point of interest.
Typical geofencing applications may be premised on the notion that if a mobile device user is proximate to a point of interest, there is a substantial likelihood that the user is interested in the point of interest, and may likely take a particular action with respect to the POI. A simple geofencing operation associating individuals to a POI merely by being within a geofence boundary, however, may not fully appreciate a relationship of an individual with a proximate or geographically close POI.